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No maem L. A. J. MULLER.

FASTENING- FORSEGRET PANELS- Patented NOVQZ, 1886-.

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAMBERT A. J. MULLER, on NEW YORK, N.

FASTENING FOR SECRET PANELS.

j SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.35'i,881', dated November 2, 1886."

Application filed April 1,1886. Serial No. 197,390. (N 0 model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAMBERT A. J. MUL- LER, a subject of the King of the Netherlands, residing in the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fastenings for SecretPanels of Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention may be employed, generally, for securing a secret panel in a desk, box, or

other cabinet, whether the panel consists of a hinged door, or the front of a drawer which may be opened by sliding the drawer outward,

and I shall here illustrate and describe my invention as embodied in a church poor-box. When embodied in a church poor-box or almscabinet, the two opposite sides-or faces of the cabinet are made of similar appearance, so as to simulate a panel on each of the two opposite faces. On one side or face is a panel which is or may be hinged at its upper edge, and the opposite face is destitute of a panel, but has the molding so arranged thereon as to simulate the appearance of a similar panel.

At the sideof the cabinet which is destitute.

of a panel there is formed a slot, which is covered by a removable cap or escutcheon, similar in appearance to a fixed escutcheon on-the panel at the opposite side. Across the box there extends a rod which is at one end attaohed to the movable secret panel and at the other end is provided with a button, which is of a size to pass through the slot at the opposite side of the cabinet, and by turning may be made to overlap the side of the cabinet adcured to the end of the rod at which is the button when it is desiredto open the hinged tents of the box will drop downward and out of the cabinet.

The invention consists in novel combina tions of partsand features of construction,

which are hereinabove referred to, and which are hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a box embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation representing that side of the box at which is the movable panel or hinged door.. Fig. 3 is an elevation representing the opposite side of the box,

with the cap or escutcheon which covers the slot and button removed. Fig. 4. is a plan of the box. Fig. 5 is an elevation on a much larger scale of a portion of the side of the box, showing the slot to receive the button and the inclined cam-surfaces, over which the button is turned. Fig.- 6 is asectional elevation of the same parts shown in Fig. 5 and-upon the same scale; and Fig. 7 is a partly sectional view of the rod which is employed to connect the door with the button, and to which the adjustable handle is represented as applied.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

.A A designate the two opposite sides of upright walls of the box, and in the side A is an opening closed by a panel, B, which is hinged at its upper edge, b, and is adapted to swing outward and upward in opening, as represented in Fig. 1. In the wall or side A of the box is an oblong or rectangular slot, 0, and immediately adjacent to the slot is a circular seat, a, for the button, the seat being provided with inclined surfaces 0 which extend away from the slot in opposite directions.

0 designates arod which extends across within the box, and which is at one end,.o

attached to the panel B, and at the opposite connected with an eye or arm, 0, which may be screwed into or otherwise secured to the panel B. The panel B has upon its outer face a fixed escutcheon, c, which adds to its ornamental appearance, and to the opposite side of the box and over the slot 0 is applied a removable cap or escutcheon, c,which presents the same appearance as the fixed escutcheon e, which may be provided with pins 0 adapted to enter holes or sockets c in the side of the box, as shown best in Fig. 5 and by dotted lines in Fig. 6.

The box has in its top a slot or opening, f, for the reception of contributions, and within the box is an inclined or slanting partition or shelf, E, which slants downward from the panel B, and has its lower edge at the bottom of the opening closed by the .panel B; hence when the panel B is swung outward, as shown in Fig. 1, all the contents ofthe box will slide down the incline E and will be discharged therefrom. \Vhen the panel Bis closed, the button D is turned, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, so as to overlap the side of the box adjacent to the slot 0, and through the rod C the panel will beheld closed. The button D may be turnedin the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5, and by the engagement of the ends of the button with the inclined surfaces or cams c the button will be drawn backward, and by putting tension on the rod will hold the door tightly closed. After the button D has been turned to lock the panel B in a closed position, the removable cap orescutcheon 0 may be applied over the slot and button, and the two sides of the box will then present the same appearance, and render it impossible to tell where the box is to be opened.

In order to conveniently operate the rod 0 the removable handle 0 may be applied thereto after the cap or escutcheon c is removed, and then by turning the button D the rod may be unlocked and the handle may enter through the slot, as shown in Fig. 1, thus enabling the hold of the rod 0 to be retained.

If the invention were employed to hold a drawer closed, the rod. 0 would be attached to the back of the drawer, and the front of the drawer would then form the panel, which is opened by the operation of the rod 0.

I am aware of United States Letters Patent No. 144,769, granted November 18, 1873, to O. Kadc, for combined tables and writing-desks; and I do not seek. to include in my invention the construction shown and described in that patent. The piece of furniture there shown comprises a box-like frame in which is vertically movable a box-like structure or casing containingpigeon-holes. Thisparticular movable casing is impelled upward to raise it above the box-like frame by springs arranged below it, and in the box-like frame catches are provided at each end which serve to hold the movable casing in a depressed position, and which maybe operated by push-buttons accessible through holes at the ends of the boxlike frame to release the movable casing and permit the springs to throw itupward. Thepush-buttons at the opposite ends of the box-like frame are covered by small panels, which may be swung to one side when access is desired to the buttons. My construction differs from that described in the patent in that my secret panel closes an opening in the side of the cabinet, and is held in place to close the opening by a pivoted button which is capable of being turned on its pivot, and which is concealed by a movable escutcheon applied to the cabinet.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with acabinet provided with a secret panel closing an opening in the side thereof, and a pivoted button whereby the panel is held closed, of a cap or escutcheon applied to the cabinet over the button and removable to afford access to the button, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a cabinet having at one side a secret panel, and having at the opposite side a removableescutcheon covering a slot in the cabinet, of a rod extending across the cabinet, attached at one end to the panel and at the other end provided with a button of a size to pass through the slot, and which, by turning, will be made to overlap the cabinet at the sides of the slot to hold the panel closed, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with a cabinet having at one side a secret panel, and having at the opposite side a slot and a seat for a button, inclined in opposite directions from the slot, of a removable escutcheon covering the slot and button-seat, and a rod attached at one end to the panel and provided at the opposite end with a button, which will pass through the slot, and by turning will act upon the said inclined seat to tighten the panel and hold it closed, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with a cabinet having an inclined partition or shelf and a panel at one side, hinged at the top and extending down to or near to the lower edge of the partition or shelf, the cabinet having at the opposite side a slot, of a rod attached at one end to the panel and provided at the other end with a but ton which may be passed through the slot and then turned to hold the panel closed, and a removable escutcheon on the side of the cabinet for covering the slot and button, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with the cabinet l1aving at one side the panel B and at the other side the slot 0, and removable cap or escutcheon c, of the rod 0, provided with a button, D, and a detachable handle, G, which may be applied to the end of said rod, and is of a size to enter the slot, substantially as herein described.

LAMBERT A. J. MULLER.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, HENRY MCBRIDE.

IIC 

